Electrically-illuminated sign.



J. H. GOEHST. ELEOTRIGALLY ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11 Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

777097301 dbrz gae/z @724V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. GOEI-IST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FEDERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELEGTRICALLY-ILLUMINATED SIGN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. GoEHsr, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-IlluminatedSigns; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact clescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electrically illuminated signsand has for its object to provide a light but rigid bracket of simpleand economical construction which is supported upon the sign and isadapted to support at its outer end a lamp, the light from whichis castand reflected upon the body of the sign.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings illustrating this invention:Figure 1 is a view in sideelevation of a sign embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalcrosssectional view of my improved bracket, taken upon line 2-2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detailcross-sectional view, taken upon line 44 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings illustrating this invention, the same is shown asapplied to a sign such as is shown and described in my prior UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 690,649 of January 7 th, 1902, and which isherein only briefly described. As shown in the said drawings, (Figs. 1and 2) 5 designates the main body of the sign which is rectangular inshape and upon which is displayed the subject-matter of the sign.

6 designates a tubular frame comprising side pieces 7 7 which areoverlapped at their inner margins to form a rabbet or groove 8 whichreceives the margin of the sign body and are bent radially outwardly attheir outer margins and secured together by bolts.

10, 10 designate the lamp sockets which are supported in the tubularframe in the manner shown and described in my prior United StatesLetters Patent No. 744,330 of November 17, 1908, and in which aresecured incandescent lamps 11, 11. Conductors are secured to clips 12,12 projecting from either Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 11, 1909.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

Serial No. 501,478.

side of the sockets and extend from socket to socket in the usualmanner.

The sign is suspended from a tubular bracket 13 through which thecurrent supply wires may be led to the sign.

As shown in the drawings, there is secured to the supporting frame ofthe sign a bracket member comprising an arm 20 which projects outwardlyfrom, and above the face of, the sign. When the sign faces both ways, asin the case illustrated, this arm may be duplicated as shown, therebeing provided two oppositely disposed bracket arms 20 and 21. Said armis tubular in form and is composed of upper and lower sections 22 and 23which are bent into shape and secured together either by brazing orsoldering. The margins of said sections are bent laterally to formhollow flanges 24, 24, forming reinforcing ribs or flanges forstiffening the arms, and the sections are extended laterally as theyapproach the body of the sign to form a wide base for attachmentthereto. As shown in the drawings, the lower section 23 is provided atthe body of the sign with a downwardly projecting web or base adaptedfor attachment to the sign and said section 23 is concave or dishedupwardly to form with the upper section 22 an arch construction whichstrengthens the said arm and affords suflicient clearance between thebracket arm and the lamp 11 located directly therebeneath to enable sucha lamp to be easily removed when it is desired to replace it with a newone.

Located at the outer end of the bracket arm is a lamp 19 which isarranged in a vertical position, said lamp being supported in adownwardly opening lamp socket 25. Said socket is preferably ofporcelain and is supported upon a horizontally extending plate 26secured to the inner face of the lower arm section 23 and extendingoutwardly therefrom. Secured to the outer end of the bracket arm anddepending therefrom is a reflector 27 which opens toward the body of thesign and is adapted to reflect the light from the lamp 19 upon thesubject-matter of the sign body. Current conductors for the lamp on thebracket arm are led from the sockets of the lamps 11, 11 through anopening in the tubular frame and through the hollow portion of the armto said lamp 19.

When the device is used in connection with the double faced sign and thetwo arms 20 and 21 are employed, said arms will be identical inconstruction and will be joined together at their inner ends by means ofa cap which is adapted to be supported upon the sign frame. As shown inthe drawings, said cap comprises a horizontal top member and twovertically arranged side members 31, 31 which extend downwardly alongthe sides of the tubular frame and to which the inner ends of the arms20 and 21 are secured. The horizontal member is provided with acentrally located, longitudinally extending rabbet which fits over theprojecting margins of the tubular frame. Said horizontal member is alsoprovided with an opening in alinement with the opening in the tubularframe through which the current conductors pass. The inner ends of theupper sections of the bracket arms are connected by means of a brace bar32 which is secured by screws or rivets to said upper sections.

The bracket is preferably outlined in long symmetrical curves which givestrength and beauty to the device and the reflectors thereon may be ofany fanciful design to further increase the beauty of the device. Overthe portion of the bracket arm which is joined to the tubular frame 6there is superposed a fanciful cap 35 which adds to the strength andappearance of the construction.

It is obvious that a bracket made in accordance with this invention canbe easily and cheaply manufactured and will form a strong and gracefulconstruct-ion. Moreover, the use of such a bracket enables the owner ofa sign to maintain a brilliantly illuminated sign at a much morereasonable rate than he could a sign illuminated to the same brilliancyby lamps arranged as are the lamps 11, 11 inasmuch as the light thrownupon the sign by the lamp 19 will be considerably greater than that castthereupon by any one of the lamps 11. When only one of the supportingbrackets is employed it will usually be located centrally of the signbody and if more than one they will be equally spaced upon the body ofthe sign. It is not necessary that the brackets besecured to the uppermargin of the sign nor need they be perfectly horizontal with respectthereto as it is obvious that the desired effect can be obtained byvarious different arrangements and locations of said brackets.

I claim as my invention 1. In an illuminated sign, in combination withthe body portion and the frame thereof, a lamp for illuminating saidbody portion, a bracket arm for said lamp comprising an upper and alower section secured together to form a tube, said sections being bentat their margins to form laterally projecting stiffening ribs, and meansfor securing said bracket arm upon the frame of the sign.

2. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and theframe thereof, a lamp, a bracket arm for said lamp comprising an upperand a lower section secured together to form a tube, the margins of saidsections being extended laterally to form reinforcing ribs and said armbeing widened at its inner end to form a supporting base adapted to besecured to the frame of the sign.

3. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and theframe thereof, a lamp for illuminating said body portion, a bracket armfor said lamp comprising an upper and a lower section secured togetherto form a tube, and a downwardly projecting web upon the inner end ofsaid lower section adapted to be secured to the supporting frame.

4. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and theframe therefor, a lamp for illuminating said body portion, a bracket armfor said lamp comprising an upper and a lower section secured togetherto form a tube, and a web upon the inner end of said lower section ofthe arm which is attached to the sign frame, and said lower sectionbeing concaved or dished upwardly on its lower face adjacent to itsinner end.

5. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and theframe thereof, a lamp bracket comprising sections which are securedtogether to form a tube, said bracket being supported upon said signframe, a horizontally extending plate at the outer end of said bracketarm, a downwardly opening lamp socket on the outer end of said plate, alamp in said socket, and an inwardly opening reflector depending fromthe outer end of said bracket arm.

6. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and theframe there for, a bracket member comprising two horizontally extendingarms, each arm comprising an upper and a lower section which are securedtogether to form a tube, a cap fitting over the upper portion of thesign frame to which the inner ends of said lower sections are secured,and a brace connecting the inner ends of said upper sections of thebracket arms.

7. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and thetubular frame therefor, a tubular bracket member, a cap therefor fittingover said tubular frame and provided with an opening in alinement withone opening through the tubular frame, a lamp supported at the outer endof said bracket member, and conductors extending from the interior ofsaid tubular frame through the alined openings in said frame and cap andthrough said tubular bracket to said lamp.

8. In an illuminated sign, in combination with the body portion and thetubular frame provided with radially projecting margins, lamp supportingbracket arms, and a supporting cap for said bracket arms adapted to fitover the tubular frame, said cap comprising two vertical members towhich said arms are attached, and a horizontal portion provided with acentrally located, longitudinally extending rabbet fitting over theradially extending margins of the tubular frame. I

9. A bracket member comprising two arms,

each composed of upper and lower sections secured together to form atube, a connecting cap to which the inner ends of said lower sectionsare secured, a brace bar connecting the inner ends of said uppersections, and a cap superposed over the adjacent ends of said bracketarms.

In testimony, that I, claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses, this 9th day of June A. D.1909.

JOHN H. GOEHST. Witnesses CLARENCE E. MEI-ILHOPE, GEORGE R. VILKINS.

